Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Bruised knees on an M3W

Now that after 4 years of misery, my M3W is finally working properly, I am driving it with a bit more enthusiasm, no longer expecting a wheel to fall off or the engine to land in my lap. I have noticed my left knee was becoming increasingly sore and bruised and I am certain it is from contact with the chassis tube to the left and below the steering wheel, where your knee sits when driving in an LHD car. As there is nowhere to rest your left foot (on LHD cars - I don't know about RHD cars) your leg is flapping about in the breeze, when you are not depressing the clutch. I try to keep my foot off the pedal to save the clutch release bearing from wear. I noticed my left knee was continually smacking into a chassis tube, the upper left main longitudinal member.

I have come up with what I hope will be a cure. I bought a length of foam pipe insulation for 28mm pipes and have cut and trimmed with a Stanley knife a semi-circular section of this about 35cm long. I have glued this with neoprene cement onto the chassis tube. Hopefully this will be enough padding to cushion the blows on the side of my already arthritic and now tender knee. Once the glue is set, I may spray it satin black but I am not sure if the thinner in the aerosol paint would attack the foam.

I used to have to do this with my Ralt-Judd single seat hill climb car, which with ground effect and wings plus very large and sticky Yokohama or Hoosier slicks (10" front 14" rear) could generate around 3½G sideways loads on hot tyres. You had to pad any metal surfaces like the mid chassis bulkhead that parts of your body might come into contact with, otherwise you would find at the end of the day, you would have huge bruises, though you did not notice them at the time.

Wilson

Fortunately my left knee is not hitting the chassis tube, but it is an awkward position for sure having your knee half cocked

There is nowhere to rest your left foot on RHD cars but I seem to remember someone had worked a rest attached to transmission tunnel.
Fingers crossed my 2013 car has been reliable after a 12week rebuild 2 years ago with a new chassis frame.

I put a 1-1/2”x1-1/2” piece of pine wood wedges between the frame members on the floor in the location I wanted my heel to rest. Makes all the difference in the world for driving comfort.

good idea

Thanks Rodger. One end was square cut(outside end) and the inside is a very slight bevel cut. I had to make three of them to find the location that felt good to my leg.

The different length wood pieces are what determines distance from the pedals.

That’s an excellent idea Stephen! Together with the knee protector that Wilson made!

Can you give us more details of how you’ve done? Maybe a picture?

I guess you have removed the small piece of carpet that is between the transversal tube and the pedal set to fix the wedges on the floor, didn’t you? Or how did you make it?

When I tested the car in Malvern, despite it was a RHD car, I detected this issue and I know I’ll suffer with my knee. At least the left one in my LHD 3 wheeler.
I’m 1,82 m (5 feet 11 inch) tall, so the leg room is at its limit for me. Anything helping my knees / feet rest better will be so welcome!

When I’ll receive it (soon hopefully… I’m so anxious these days! ) I planned some “comfort” improvements, both to help me rest my legs and feet rest in the most possible comfortable way. Please advices welcome!

First one will be raising the front of the seat by inserting a piece of wood below the front end, just by the steel bar that retains the seat while flat on the floor. So my thighs will rest on the soft cushion and not just my butt. I believe many of you have done that already. How have you fixed this piece? I’m thinking to make a trapezoidal shaped piece and fix it with two-sided Velcro tape, so I can have two heights. One for me and the other for my wife. With the Velcro it should be easy and fast to change the height by just turning 90º the trapezoidal piece of wood. But have doubts if this method will retain the seat to slide forward in case of a hard braking. What do you think?

The second is precisely doing as Wilson. Check where is my left knee resting and put there a soft foam patch. As I’ll have surplus leather from the tailor-made luggage I’ll make, I can use a small piece of it to cover this patch and make it look better.

And now the third may be doing something as Stephen. At least for the left foot. So I can support the heel. Stephen, if you can show me how you’ve done in your car, How did you fixed the wood wedges? Glued? Drilled from below and fixed with screws and washers? I’ll be grateful!

Not elegant and it is just wedged in place and never has rattled loose.

I could see making a thin plywood platform with holes in it to receive pegs from a cross brace so it could be adjustable but since I am the only driver the simple way worked best.

Nice and simple. And it works! But it's just wedged and not glued or fixed otherwise to the floor?

Just wedged and it has never wiggled or moved.